Rich Schau and Mark Ritter took first place in their respective open and amateur events at the KF Cues Open 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of June 27-28. Hosted by Hammerheads in Holiday, FL, the $1,000-added open event drew 31 entrants, while the $700-added amateur event drew 52.
Ritter, in the amateur event, finished late Sunday night undefeated, holding off a strong challenge by Dan Lavoie, who'd worked his way through seven matches on the one-loss side to meet him in the finals. Schau, on Saturday in the open event, moved west to leave John Gabriel in the hot seat, and then returned to defeat him in the finals.
From among the winners' side final four, Schau defeated Han Berber 7-4 to get into the hot seat match with Gabriel , who was busy defeating Richard Broumpton 7-3. Gabriel sent Schau to the semifinals with a 7-3 score, as well.
On the one-loss side, Josh Lewis and Justin Hall, after surviving hill-struggles among the final 12, awaited Broumpton and Berber respectively. Broumpton dropped Lewis into the tie for fifth place 7-2, as Hall moved to join him with a 7-5 win over Berber. Broumpton then tallied a strong 7-1 win over Hall in the quarterfinals that set him up versus Schau. Broumpton had to settle for third place, as a determined Schau set him down 7-5 for a second chance versus Gabriel.
“Schau came out firing in this (final) match,” said tour director Tony Crosby, “and took a commanding lead.”
By the time Schau was two racks away from winning the race to nine, his lead had grown to five. The two traded racks, which put Schau on the hill. Gabriel edged a single game closer on the next rack, but Schau finished it 9-4.
Ritter, in the amateur event, came within a rack of following a path similar to Schau's. From among the winners' side final four, he struggled to hill-hill versus Jeff Mabry before advancing to the hot seat match versus Bobby Moore, who'd sent Jason Richko west 7-5. Moore put up a fight, too, but Ritter prevailed 7-5 and waited for Dan Lavoie to work his way back.
LaVoie, after wins over Dan Whitten and Mike Delawder (a shutout), faced off against Richko as Grover (no known first name) took on Mabry. Grover got to the quarterfinals in a hill-hill win over Mabry, as Lavoie was sending Richko home 7-3, but was on the wrong side of the hill-hill battle that set LaVoie up to meet Moore in the semifinals. LaVoie completed his seven, one-loss side matches with a 6-3 win over Moore.
Certainly aware of LaVoie's steady and determined advance through the left side of the bracket, Ritter wasted little time in taking command of the final race to 9. He took a quick 5-0 lead and though through the middle matches, LaVoie would threaten, closing the gap to within three at 7-4, Ritter stopped it right there. He won the final two, completing an undefeated run.
Stephanie Mitchell was the top female finisher in the amateur event, finishing in the tie for ninth place, which earned her $50. Taz Maravane earned a free entry fee as the top finishing junior player.
